Recently, there has been a friendly controversy going on at Huron High School behind Jayuen Lee’s North Face jacket. A staple of her wardrobe since sixth grade, she wears a particularly blindingly bright piece of outerwear that has left many Huron students questioning exactly what color it is: Neon pink or orange? Currently, there is a drastic divide with no clear consensus, which reminds us of a similar phenomenon that went viral in 2015.
“The Dress” was a photograph that originated when a woman posted on Tumblr asking for help identifying the colors of a dress she was wearing. Some people saw the dress as white and gold, while others swore it was black and blue. The argument quickly spread throughout the Internet, across social media, and even with scientists, psychologists, and celebrities pitching their opinions in. Fast forward to today, Lee’s jacket brings back a strikingly resembling debate that has uncoincidentally sparked a clash between two colors.
Jayeun, who acquired the jacket during the winter of her sixth-grade year from the North Face Outlet, is quite firm in her stance.
“I am a staunch believer in the orange color of my jacket,” Lee declares. However, she does acknowledge that the jacket has “chromatic limbo.”
“It really depends on the lighting you view it in, and a lot of people can’t make a decision between the two colors. Even the iPhone color picker came up with ‘pink orange’ when we took a photo,” Lee said. She has also mentioned that because of its blindingly bright color, it doesn’t help that you can’t look directly at it.
The debate has found its way into various social circles, with some of the most heated discussions happening in Lee’s extracurricular activities.
“We had many debates in the orchestra about my jacket, mostly within the cello section,” Lee said. Coincidentally, there was also a big debate in Ethics Bowl, where they were arguing about a “controversial topic in a room full of people who argue about controversial topics for fun,” Lee said. The jacket has become more than just a piece of clothing; it’s a conversation starter, a fight about color theory, and a source of pure fun.
Despite the ongoing disagreement, Lee has no plans to replace her signature jacket anytime soon.
“It’s definitely a piece of clothing that I’ve become very fond of. Every year my mom asks me to buy a new coat, but I can’t bring myself to part with it. I hope I’ll wear it for a long time!”
Whether the true color even matters, Lee believes the debate itself holds more value than the actual answer.
“The debate is certainly fun, and it’s brought a lot of small joys into my life. Through these small debates over such an insignificant thing, I’ve grown closer to a lot of my friends and made small, happy memories,” Lee said.
So now the question turns to you all: Is Lee’s jacket neon pink or orange? Of course, the answer might never be agreed upon, but one thing is certain– this jacket has left a lasting impression, no matter how you see it.
